Book Image

Industrial Automation from Scratch

By : Olushola Akande
Book Image

Industrial Automation from Scratch

By: Olushola Akande

Overview of this book

Industrial automation has become a popular solution for various industries looking to reduce manual labor inputs and costs by automating processes. This book helps you discover the abilities necessary for excelling in this field. The book starts with the basics of industrial automation before progressing to the application of switches, sensors, actuators, and motors, and a direct on-line (DOL) starter and its components, such as circuit breakers, contactors, and overload relay. Next, you'll explore VFDs, their parameter settings, and how they can be wired and programmed for induction motor control. As you advance, you'll learn the wiring and programming of major industrial automation tools – PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA. You’ll also get to grips with process control and measurements (temperature, pressure, level, and flow), along with analog signal processing with hands-on experience in connecting a 4–20 mA transmitter to a PLC. The concluding chapters will help you grasp various industrial network protocols such as FOUNDATION Fieldbus, Modbus, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, and HART, as well as emerging trends in manufacturing (Industry 4.0) and its empowering technologies (such as IoT, AI, and robotics). By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a practical understanding of industrial automation concepts for machine automation and control.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1: Learning the Concepts and Skills Required to Get Started
8
Part 2: Understanding PLC, HMI, and SCADA
14
Part 3: Process Control, Industrial Network, and Smart Factory

Introduction to Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)

In the previous chapter, we learned about the various types of electric motors. Among the various types, the asynchronous (induction) motor is the most commonly used motor in the industry. However, machines in the industry, such as conveyors, mixers, agitators, pumps, compressors, and others, that utilize an induction motor require a variable speed, which an induction motor alone cannot provide because induction motors are designed to run at a constant speed (that is, their speed remains almost the same for various load range).

A variable speed drive is an electronic device used to achieve the varying speed needed by either an asynchronous or synchronous motor for various applications.

This chapter looks at a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), its working principle, benefit, wiring, and programming. We will also look at some practical applications, including forward, reverse, and speed control of an induction motor.

In this chapter...